Seeding and carrier modification strategies for the rapid start-up of an attached growth anammox technology

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Wastewater treatment facilities operating in Canada and around the world are facing increased pressure to meet stringent nutrient effluent discharge regulations. The attached growth ANITA Mox anammox technology (Veolia Water, Paris, France) for nitrogen removal significantly reduces aeration energy costs, reduces the net production of wasted sludge and eliminates all costs associated with external carbon addition compared to conventional nitrogen removal technologies. In addition the ANITA Mox technology reduces the land footprint requirement of the system compared to suspended growth anammox technologies. Although the attached growth ANITA Mox technology provides energy and cost efficient robust treatment with a small land footprint, the installation of the ANITA Mox technology at facilities in Canada and around the world is currently being limited by the long start-up time of the system. This lack of start-up knowledge restricts the current uptake and installation of this technology at numerous wastewater treatment facilities in Canada and around the world. The proposed research investigates a seeding start-up strategy and three bio-carrier modification strategies to promote the rapid start-up of the ANITA Mox anammox technology to facilitate. This study moves beyond the kinetic testing of anammox processes in ANITA Mox systems and will provide new fundamental understanding of the attachment, growth and maturation of anammox biofilms to modified and virgin ANITA Mox carriers using modern microscopy (stereoscopy, variable pressure scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy) and molecular methods (droplet digital polymerase chain reaction and next generation Illumina sequencing). The new information acquired in this study will serve to remove a key barrier that currently restricts the installation of the cost effective, energy efficient and small land footprint ANITA Mox technology for nitrogen removal from wastewaters in Canada and around the world. In addition, the knowledge created from this study will ultimately reduce the risks to the environment, fisheries resources, and human health by decreasing the discharge of harmful deleterious substances in Canadian natural waters.